Aperture Science Innovators
by The Hash Slinging Slasher
Summary: Welcome to Aperture Science Innovators! Here at Aperture, we believe that science and innovation are the key to a brighter tomorrow. Through testing and perseverance, we can make the world a better place. The future starts with you.
1. Welcome to Aperture

**Author's Note: **I've seen a lot of really cool stories about old Aperture, and I thought I would try one myself.

1961

The bus sped through the field; tall, golden wheat flying by the windows. The country road was bumpy and uneven, and the bus clanked alarmingly. Jonathan stared out the window, then looked around at the other new 'lab boys'. After getting a Bachelor in Science and graduating from the top of his class, he had heard that Aperture was hiring. The application form was admittedly strange (it included questions such as, 'are you related to any government officials?', and 'do you enjoy the beach?'), but Jonathon was determined to work for the most esteemed science company in the nation.

After being accepted, he had driven to Idaho and gotten on the bus that he was on now. They had been driving for about two hours.

The radio came on. It was a clear and confident voice. "Cave Johnson here, and if you're on this bus it means one of two things. Either you're a bright young scientist looking for a future in this company, or you're a Black Mesa spy- in which case so help me God I will beat you like a harp seel. (here there was laughter) Anyway, have a good trip and remember, the future starts with you."

The driver laughed too. He turned around in his seat. "You guys are going to love Mr. Johnson."

The person sitting across from Jonathan leaned out into the aisle. "I heard that he got so rich off of the money he made selling shower curtains, is that true?"

"Yes sir. Aperture Shower Fixtures." said the driver.

The inquirer scoffed and sat back in his seat. A girl sitting in front of him seemed annoyed. She turned around. "I suppose it's hard for some people to understand how hard work can actually pay off."

"I wonder why there is only one _girl _on this bus." the boy replied.

The girl turned back around. "Maybe you scared them all off with your loud demeanor." The rest of the bus laughed.

Jonathan, who had been staring out the window, looked to see what was going on. The girl he had heard was thin, with dark bobbed hair. The boy he had heard was red.

Jonathan turned back to the window. He was still wondering if this had been a good choice. He had heard some interesting things about Aperture Science Innovators, and had seen some of there questionable products (among them, 'Aperture Brand Kinetic Axes' and 'Aperture Brand Protective Snake Rope'). However, they were also big military contractors, and had won several science awards. Jonathan had eventually been swayed by the promise of unlimited resources for research.

Finally, the bus arrived at it's destination. They had stopped in what seemed like the middle of the road, and to their right there was a small, shiny shack.

"Trust me, there are bigger entrances. This is just the closest." the driver said. He opened the bus doors, and the future employes filed out with their luggage. Johnathan picked up his two duffel bags, and stepped out into the bright sunlight. He blew a strand of blonde hair out of his eyes, and adjusted his tie. He told himself that he was sweating because of the heat. Yes. It was fairly warm out.

Once everyone was in the shack, the floor beneath them began to steadily sink. Cave's voice came over the radio again.

"Hello recruits! You are now only ten minutes away from your new home at Aperture Science Innovators. Now, we understand that long, dark elevator rides scare some people. So, we're going to play you some smooth jazz. If that's not enough, then you probably wouldn't be a great employe anyway."

Jonathan stood in the dark with the other future employes, and listened to the smooth jazz for ten minutes. When the elevator finally came to a grinding halt, a wide door in front of them opened up into a glass hallway. A chipper looking guide with a sharp suit and a clipboard smiled at them.

"Welcome to Aperture Science Innovators. Before you are shown to your rooms, I will be giving you a tour, and you will see just a little bit of what we do here." he said quickly. They began walking down the path, and small lights along the side suddenly lit up like a movie theater. Just as Jonathan was wondering why they were on in the middle of the day, the guide gave them his first fun fact.

"The lights on this path are not to improve visibility, they are part of a test to see if prolonged exposure to negative energy will melt shoe soles. If the sole of your shoe melts, please tell me and I will inform the lab."

"Has it ever worked?" asked a tall boy in the back.

The guide nodded. "Several times, yes." A boy next to Jonathan started to take his shoes off.

The guide laughed. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. We don't want to start a test to see if negative energy will melt your ankles!"

As the group continued, they passed over a massive tank of water that contained several great white sharks. Beside the tank was an orange ramp. An athletic looking man in an orange jumpsuit was standing at it's base. He was carrying a box in one arm, and he waved to the group with the other. He started to run up the ramp.

_What is he doing? _thought Jonathan. _He's just going to jump into a shark tank? Is this some kind of aquatic-combat test?_

But, to Jonathan's astonishment, the man sped up as he went higher up the ramp, gaining enough momentum to sail over the tank onto a platform on the other side. The group gazed on in amazement.

"The test that you just witnessed contains propulsion gel, which is a unique substance capable of propeling an object at fifteen times it's normal speed and acceleration limits. It is being incorporated into new tests as we find more scientific uses for it."

"So this is a test for the gel, not the person?" someone asked.

"No." said the guide. "This is a shark-agility test."

The guide continued to point out strange scientific tests to them, and Jonathan began to feel more and more like Charlie in the chocolate factory. Jonathan felt like he was steadily learning that he knew even less about Aperture Science Innovators then he thought he did.

The guide stopped them in front of a room with white panels placed randomly on the walls. Up on a ledge was a large red button.

"Box and button testing is the most common scientific test that we perform here at Aperture Science Innovators. It involves testing a subject's ability to place a box on a button. Also, it generaly involves equipping test subjects with Portable Quantum Tunneling Devices."

Before anybody could ask what he was talking about, a test subject stepped into the room. He had on a large backpack with a thick, metal tube running out the side. The tube was connected to a gun-like object that he held in his hands. The man aimed at the floor, and pulled a large trigger that made a loud _crick _sound. An oblong, orange disc appeared. He shifted his aim at the ledge, where a blue hole appeared.

Jonathan was amazed, but also confused. The man stepped into the orange hole on the floor, and fell out of the blue one on the ledge.

The group erupted into questions and shouting. Jonathan wiped off his glasses with his sleeve.

"No, what you just saw was not a smudge on your glasses." said the guide, looking at Jonathan. "You have all just witnessed the single most revolutionary device in all of scientific history. The Portable Quantum Tunneling Device."

Jonathan felt that maybe he was a little bit out of his league. He had never done anything like this, and had never thought that anything like this was possible. Cave Johnson's voice interrupted Jonathan's doubts.

"I bet you kids are thinking, 'what the heck is this?' Or, 'how is this even possible?' Or, if you're a Black Mesa spy, 'how can I relay this information back to headquarters?' Well I've got answers for all three of those questions. Science. Science. Don't even think about it."


	2. New Group

After the tour, the group split up. Jonathan and the other aspiring scientists got on to another elevator, and they plunged even deeper down into the massive building. There was a helpful poster in the elevator that depicted a man standing on the ceiling. It read 'We can't reverse gravity, so you _are _hallucinating.' Jonathan took note.

The elevator came to an abrubt halt. The doors opened in to a long hallway. Nobody stepped out for what seemed like an eternity. The girl who had insulted people on the bus was the first to step out. The five other scientists followed. Jonathan took one last look at the poster, then picked up his duffel bags and walked out the door. It shut behind him, and he could hear it rushing away.

At the end of the hallway there was a large double-door. They could hear nothing coming from behind it. . One of them opened the door. There were several counter-islands covered in beakers and giant three dimensional octagons. The walls were covered in giant whiteboards that were practically blanketed in equations.

Men in labcoats were pouring and mixing things, and assistants were frantically writing things down on clipboards. Jonathan thought that it all seemed very sciency.

A side door opened and a man with short hair and large, horned-rimmed glasses stepped out. He swayed, then looked off in to the distance. He held a large bottle of scotch in his hand, and as he walked towards the group he handed it to one of the assistants and took their clipboard.

"You kids the new group that's coming today?"

"Yes." said the girl with the bob.

"Alright." said the man. "Well..." he looked at his clipboard. "I'm not going to tell you anything... and you should all find out where your rooms are." he looked off into the distance again, then walked away.

Jonathan hoped that he would be working in another department somehow.

After asking various assistants where they were supposed to go, the group finally made their way to their rooms. They were nice. Better than a college dorm, Jonathan thought. The beds were comfortable, and there was only one vaguely threatening poster in his room ('Set your alarm clock... for science!')

His room was a mirror, with two beds, two desks, and two dressers. His roommate was absent, but he noticed that there was a lot of paper on his side of the room. Sort of strewn around, as if they had been tossed at random.

Jonathan unpacked his things. His fish, surprisingly, had survived the journey. He had packed it thinking that it had a better chance of surviving in a bag for a day than with his family. He poured it into a bowl and set it on his dresser.

Dinner was in a big mess hall. The food was good, and afterwards he found his way back to his room. It took him awhile, because the elevators and walkways still seemed like a maze to him.

He was about to step into his room when Cave Johson's voice came over the speaker.

"Alright boys, get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another big day of scientific discovery. An especially big day, hopefully, because if the stimulant we put in the water works you'll all be up for about seventy two hours."


	3. We Are Not In A Boat

**A.N. : **Thank you people who added this to story alert! ... please review!

Cave Johnson's voice woke Jonathan up before his alarm clock did.

"Up and at 'em boys! You've got a day of science ahead of you!"

Jonathan was confused as to why he was not in his room back home. Who was this man- then he remembered. He rolled over and saw that the other bed his room was still empty. His roommate was still absent. As he looked more, he noticed that under the other bed were about a dozen rubber balls.

Jonathan got dressed. He put on his glasses (his sight was not poor enough that he couldn't find them) and walked out the door. He bumped into the girl from the bus. She was holding a large binder. Jonathan felt nervous. Were they supposed to bring some sort of binder?

"Hello, I'm Caroline. I remember you from the bus." she smiled and held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jonathan." he shook her hand. He always felt that he came off as boring.

"Where are you headed?" she asked.

The schedule on Jonathan's wall had instructed him to go to orientation at the enigmaticly named 'Lab Work Orientation Room'.

"Orientation." he replied.

"Do you know what you'll be researching?" she asked.

Jonathan really had no idea. His degree was in physics ( which his parents had told him 'would be about as useful as a liberal arts degree') but he assumed that he would start out as somebody's assistant.

"Not really." he answered. "Do you?"

"No."

"I guess we're in the same boat then."

Caroline turned and made direct eye contact with him. "We are not in a boat. We are in Aperture Science Innovators."

The two continued down the hall to the Lab Work Orientation Room in silence.

Once inside, Jonathan sat down among the other people from the bus he had been on. All the chairs were facing an empty lectern. Cave Johnson's voice came over the intercom again.

"Attention occupants of the Lab Work Orientation Room. After crunching the numbers, we discovered that it is more economical for you all to simply figure things out for yourselves, and get right to science. Please procede to the fifth thing on your schedule."

Thankfully, Jonathan had taken his schedule off the wall and put it into his pocket. He unfolded it. The fifth item was 'Go to your assigned department.' They had not been assigned departments.

Jonathan could tell that his confusion was shared by the rest of the group.

Caroline was apparently not confused. She stood up, and left. Jonathan waited hopefully for the intercom for several seconds, then followed her.

Jonathan caught up with her. "I thought you said that you didn't know where you were going to be?"

"I don't. I'm just going to have to check every department to find which one I'm supposed to be in."

Caroline and Jonathan followed the helpful signs on the wall to the Department of Thermodynamics. In the room was a generator the size of a bus, with thick cords running into a wall of dials. They asked around, and found that they were not on the list.

After checking five other departments, they finally came to the Department of Human Testing. Jonathan realized that it was the room that they had been in the first day. An assistant confirmed that this was their department, and that they should check in with Mr. Thomas.

They were shown to a door labeled 'Mr. Thomas'. They stepped into a large office. Inside was the man with the horned rimmed glasses who had been so helpful the day before. He was speaking on the phone and smoking a cigarette.

"No... no... well, you can't prove that it was. That doesn't mean anything." he hung up the phone and looked at Jonathan and Caroline.

"Who are you people?"

"We are your two new employes." said Caroline. Jonathan eyed the mini-bar on the other side of the room. Mr. Thomas noticed. He pointed to the bar.

"Sobriety is not necessary for science. You know who taught me that?"

Jonathan shook his head.

"I did. I learned it through experience." he put out his cigarette. "Now, here are some papers for you to sign."

They each signed multiple papers, then left the office. They had been instruced to 'get to know what we do here'.

The other scientists seemed to understand their confusion, and were helpful in getting them up to speed with recent projects and tests. Jonathan received a thick binder of graphs and models. He learned that the large three-dimensional octagons he had seen the day before were full of powder that would (hopefully) allow test subjects to turn water into propulsion gel.

They were given a short tour of some of the observation decks, where they saw test subjects using the Portable Quantum Tunneling Device (which still blew Jonathan's mind), various gels, and flying through tunnels of asbethos.

At five o' clock Mr. Thomas told everyone to 'get out of here' and Jonathan returned to his room. He sat down at his desk and started going through the papers he had been given. He was looking over a theoretical gravity cube when somone opened the door and came in.

"Hello. I am your roommate." said the man, closing the door behind him. Jonathan was temporarily taken off guard by his strange appearance. He was so pale Jonathan thought for a second that he was albino, before seeing his brown eyes. He was wearing a giant parka..

Jonathan, still startled, did not introduce himself, but asked. "Why are you wearing that?"

"I was in Tibet. It's very cold there." he took of his coat. "You're Jonathan, correct?"

"Yes." Jonathan couldn't think of anything else to say.

His roommate introduced himself as Henry, then picked up some papers off his bed and left.

Jonathan stared at the door for a minute. Cave Johnson's voice came over the intercom.

"I would like to officially welcome home the members of our Tibetan expedition. Hopefully, their in-depth research of magic in that region will prove beneficial."


	4. Doctor White

**AN: **Just a head's up, I'm going to try to keep this story as consistent with the canon as possible. If I do anything stupid, tell me so I can correct it. **Please review!**

Jonathan stepped in to The Department of Human Testing. He was very early, and there were only two other scientists there. He was unsure as to what he was supposed to do.

Mr. Thomas stepped out of his office. He looked up at the lights and blinked, then umplugged a whirring machine next to him. He walked over to Jonathan and tossed him a pack of cigarettes.

"You smoke, son?" he asked.

Jonathan shook his head.

"That's a darn shame." He took the pack from him. "You've been transferred."

"But I've only worked here for one day..."

"Well, not totally transferred. You and Caroline are kind of... semi-transferred. You'll both still be technically working for The Department of Human Testing, but you'll be spending most of your time in The Department of Theoretical Experimentation. We're working on some integration things... you'll be our inbetween people."

Mr. Thomas put an arm over his shoulder and walked him out of the room. "It'll be really fun. It's an ... interesting ..." he stopped talking and walked away.

Jonathan (eventually) found the way to his new workplace. It was very hard to find, because it was not on the map he had been given.

The door to the department had a big poster on it that depicted a man shaking hands with himself. The picture had a bright red cirlce around it with a line drawn through. The text beneath it read 'How could he know better than you?'.

Jonathan walked into a room that was similar to the one he had left. Men in labcoats were walking around, and assistants were following them. In the corner of the room was a massive machine. It was rectangular and grey, with hundreds of dials along the side. There was a man standing next to it wearing bulky headphones, adjusting the dials and writing furiously on a notepad.

Someone noticed Jonathan standing in the doorway and approached him.

"Are you the other consultant from The Department of Human Testing?" asked the assistant. She looked like she hadn't slept in a week.

"Um, yes, I am."

"Right this way." She led him across the room, weaving through the tables and scientists. At the other end of the room was a door that opened into a long flight of steep, descending stairs. A colorful poster above the door showed someone in a hospital bed. The text read 'Watch Your Step!'. Jonathan didn't understand why all the posters had to be so threatening.

At the end of the stairs was a door with a shiny plaque that read 'Dr. White'. Jonathan thought that it sounded like a dentist's name.

The assistant let him in. Directly in front of him was Dr. White, sitting at his desk. He had a very positive air about him, and there was a large painting behind him of a tree.

Dr. White stepped out and shook Jonathan's hand. "We are very excited to be working with The Department of Human Testing." he motioned to a chair. "Please, take a seat."

Jonathan sat down in a velvet-y red chair. Next to him sat an alert looking Caroline. She seemed chipper, despite the early hour.

"We are working with very, very exciting new technologies here." said Dr. White. "This is truly one of the most radical things to ever be designed."

"Will we be viewing the Quantum Tunneling Device?" asked Jonathan, who could imagine nothing more radical.

Dr. White laughed cheerily. "No, no. This is a little more... advanced."

This shocked Jonathan, who could imagine nothing more advanced.

Dr. White led them out a side door of his office onto one of the observation desks. It was loud. People were furiously typing out papers, adjusting dials, and pointing down through the glass at a lone test subject.

Dr. White ushered them in. Someone started counting down.

"5... 4... 3... 2 ...1"

There was a blinding flash of light from the test chamber.

Jonathan sat down in a velvet-y red chair. Next to him sat an alert looking Caroline. She seemed chipper, despite the early hour.

"We are working with very, very exciting new technologies here." said Dr. White. "This is truly one of the most radical things to ever be designed."

"Will we be viewing the Quantum Tunneling Device?" asked Jonathan, who could imagine nothing more radical.

Dr. White laughed cheerily. "No, no. This is a little more... advanced."

This shocked Jonathan, who could imagine nothing more advanced.

Dr. White led them out a side door of his office onto one of the observation desks. It was loud. People were furiously typing out papers, adjusting dials, and pointing down through the glass at a lone test subject.

Dr. White ushered them in. Someone started counting down.

"5... 4... 3... 2 ...1"

There was a blinding flash of light from the test chamber.

Jonathan sat down in a velvet-y red chair. Next to him sat an alert looking Caroline. She seemed chipper, despite the early hour. However, it didn't feel early. Jonathan felt, strangely, as if he had been up for a while.

"We are working with very, very exciting new technologies here." said Dr. White. "This is truly one of the most radical things to ever be designed."

"Will we be viewing the Quantum Tunneling Device?" asked Jonathan, who could imagine nothing more radical.

Dr. White laughed cheerily. "No, no. This is a little more... advanced."

This somehow didn't shock Jonathan. Maybe the wonders of Aperture had dulled him.

Dr. White led them out a side door of his office onto one of the observation desks. It was loud. People were furiously typing out papers, adjusting dials, and pointing down through the glass at a lone test subject.

Dr. White ushered them in. Someone started counting down.

"5... 4... 3... 2 ...1"

There was a blinding flash of light from the test chamber.

Jonathan sat down in a velvet-y red chair. Next to him sat an alert looking Caroline. She seemed chipper, despite the early hour. However, it didn't feel very early. Jonathan felt like he had been up for a while. Maybe he hadn't slept well.

"We are working with very, very exciting new technologies here." said Dr. White. "This is truly one of the most radical things to ever be designed."

"Will we be viewing the Quantum Tunneling Device?" asked Jonathan, who could imagine nothing more radical. And then, "Did we meet yesterday?"

Dr. White seemed puzzled. "No, I don't believe we've met before. And, no. We'll be viewing something a little more... advanced.

Now Jonathan seemed puzzled. He could have sworn that he knew Dr. White somehow.

Dr. White led them out a side door of his office onto one of the observation desks. It was loud. People were furiously typing out papers, adjusting dials, and pointing down through the glass at a lone test subject.

Dr. White ushered them in. Someone started counting down.

"5... 4... 3... 2 ..."

Caroline reached out and flipped a switch. There was a sound like lightbulb going out, then an engine slowing down.

A man holding a stuffed folder suddenly burst in through the door, sending papers flying off of desks. He quickly stepped over to Dr. White, and opened the folder. Dr. White examined it.

Cave Johnson's voice came over the intercom. "Thank's to the work of The Department of Theoretical Experimentation, we will not all be stuck in an infinite time loop."


End file.
